Resilient mounting arrangement

ABSTRACT

A propeller shaft bearing is carried in an inner ring connected to an outer ring by a resilient annular membrane. The outer ring is secured to a vehicle body portion. An annular member extends from one of the rings towards the other and upon relative displacement of the rings resiliently engages the other ring to provide an increased spring rate for the membrane to resist further relative displacement of the rings.

1 u Unite/1v: tates atent [151 3,639,015 Maas 1 Feb. 1, 1972 [54]RESILIENT MGUNTING 1,603,348 10/1926 Lord ..308/26 E E T 2,906,5729/1959 Wroby .308/184 3,140,901 4/1964 Young ...308/26 [7 In n OttoRobert Malls, RuSselsheim/HeSsen, 3,306,679 2/1967 Stokely ..308/26Germany FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS [73] Assigneez General MotorsCorporation, Detroit,

Mich. 921,720 3/1963 Great Britain ..308/26 [22] Filed: May 1970 PrimaryExaminer-Martin P. Schwadron [2]] APPL No; 34,438 AssistantExaminer-Barry Grossman Attorney-W. E. Finken and F. J. Fodale [30]Foreign Application Priority Data [57] ABSTRACT M y 1969 69 19 073-9 Apropeller shaft bearing is carried in an inner ring connected to anouter ring by a resilient annular membrane. The outer [52] US. Cl..308/26, 308/184 ring is secured to a vehicle body portion. An annularmember [51 Int. Cl. ..Fl6c 35/06 extends from one of the rings towardsthe other and upon rela- [58] Field of Search ..308/26, 184; 248/6, 8,9, l5, tive displacement of the rings resiliently engages the other ring248/20, 21, 22, 54, 204, 358 to provide an increased spring rate for themembrane to resist further relative displacement of the rings.

[56] References Cited 3 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures UNITED STATES PATENTS2,933,354 4/1960 Primeau ..308/184 PATENTEDFEB H972 3639015 InventorAttorney RESILIENT MOUNTING ARRANGEMENT This invention relates to aresilient mounting arrangement such as may be used to support a bearingfor a propeller shaft of a motor vehicle drive line.

In a motor vehicle drive line for transmitting rotary drive from anengine of the vehicle to a pair of opposed road wheels of the vehicle,relative movement between the vehicle and the drive line can cause axialor angular movement of a propeller shaft forming part of the drive line,with consequent transmission of vibrations to the vehicle.

By the invention there is provided a resilient mounting arrangement fora propeller shaft bearing of a motor vehicle, which arrangement limitsand dampens such vibrations caused by axial or angular movement of thepropeller shaft.

The appended claims define the scope of the invention. How the inventioncan be performed is hereinafter particu larly described with referenceto the accompanying drawings in which:

HO. 1 is a schematic view, partly in section, of a motor vehicle driveline including a resilient mounting arrangement according to theinvention;

FIG. 2 is a partsectioned view to a larger resilient mountingarrangement of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is an end view of the resilient mounting arrangement of FIG. 2.

A motor vehicle drive line for transmitting rotary drive from an engineof a vehicle (not shown) to opposed ones ofa pair of rear road wheels ofthe vehicle (not shown) which are interconnected by a rigid rear axlesuspended from the vehicle, in cludes a divided propeller shaft l0, 14.The shaft is connected at a forward end by a sliding coupling 11 to agear box I2, in unit with the engine. At its rear end the shaft 10 isconnected by a universal joint 13 to a shaft 14 which is also connectedto a differential gear 15 for transmitting the rotary drive to the rearroad wheels of the vehicle. As the rear axle, suspension and rear roadwheels, and the engine form no part of the invention they are not shownin the drawing nor will they be further described.

The shaft 14 is enclosed over the greater part of its length within atubular extension 16 of the rear axle (not shown), and the extension 16is secured at its forward end in a resilient bushing 18 which is securedto a part 17 of a transmission tunnel formed in the floor pan of thevehicle body.

A bearing 19 is located between the universaljoint 13 and the bushing 18and carries the shaft 14. The bearing 19 is resiliently mounted in anarrangement secured to the part 17 of the transmission tunnel of thevehicle. The bearing 19 has an inner race 21 which carries the shaft 14,and an outer race 23, and balls 22 retained between the two races. Thebearing 19 is secured in a bearing cage 24 which encloses the race 23.The resilient mounting arrangement for the bearing consists of a rigidmetal inner ring 25 which surrounds the bearing cage 24 and has acoating of an elastomeric material thereon to prevent metal-to-metalcontact between the ring and the cage. An outer rigid metal ring 26surrounds the inner ring 25 and is spaced therefrom. The rings 25 and 26are cylindrical. An'annular resilient support membrane 27, of C-shapedcross section, interconnects the rings 25 and 26, and is bonded as byvulcanizing to the respective rings. The membrane 27 has on its endportion bonded on the inner ring 25 an annular frustoconical member 28which extends from the inner ring 25 towards the outer ring 26.

The annular member 28 has a surface portion facing the inner ring 25 andhas ribs 30 formed on that portion. As best seen in FIG. 3 these ribsextend obliquely and are so positioned as to lie substantiallytangentially of the outer surface of the shaft 14 when it is located inthe bearing 19.

The arrangement 20 is asymmetric in that the membrane 27 is disposed atone end of the arrangement directed towards the front of the vehicle andthe other end of the arrangement is open towards the rear of thevehicle. A seal lip 31 formed on the membrane 27 engages the bearingcage 24.

The arrangement 20 is secured to the portion 17 of the vehicle by meansof hanger bolts (not shown). A rigid M-shaped scale of the connectingpiece 32 fits around a portion of the outer ring 26, and its endportions forming the outer limbs of the M have slots 33 for reception ofthe bolts. A steel band 34 fitted around the other portion of the ring26 is welded to the connecting piece 32.

As seen in FIG. 2 the steel band 34 has an annular depression 35 thereininto which fits an annular bead 36 on the outer portion of the membrane27 to secure the arrangement 20 against axial movement.

To avoid any metal-to-metal contact between the inner ring 25 and thebearing cage 24, the outer ring 26 and the steel band 34, or theconnecting piece 32, the rings are coated with elastomeric material. Themembrane 27 can provide some part of this covering.

The arrangement 20 as shown in FIG. 1 has its closed end facingforwardly, because when fitted the other way round it is possible fordirt flung up by the front wheels of the vehicle to enter thearrangement and damage it.

Although the annular member 28 has been shown as extending from theinner ring 25 towards the outer ring 26, it could be formed to extendfrom the outer ring, towards the inner ring. Also, although the member28 has been shown as a part of the membrane 27 it could be a separateelement, In all cases, it is important that the member 28 has itsgreatest radial dimension at a point substantially midway along thelength of the arrangement 20.

In operation, the forward shaft 10 of the drive line is severelystressed by movement of the rear axle which is in part located andguided by the extension 16 and the extension transmits such axlemovements to the shaft 14 and so through the universal joint 13 to theshaft 10.

The resilient mounting arrangement 20 must be able to absorb both theangular movements of the drive line and also its axial movement so thatnoises and vibration caused thereby are reduced or obviated. Axialmovement of the shafts l0, 14 occurs for example during braking of thevehicle and are due to the resilient mounting of the engine and gearbox. The sliding coupling 11 allows for such axial movement at the shaftconnection to the gear box, and the resilient mounting an rangementallows for this movement at the bearing 19. By such movement the innerring 25 is pushed out of its rest position as seen in FIG. 2, in thedirection of movement of the shafts l0, 14 while the outer ring 26remains in the position shown. The membrane 27 connecting the rings isstressed, and its cross-sectional shape is varied as the membranedeforms in response to the stress imparted by movement of the ring 25.

If, for example, the shafts l0, 14 move in an axial direction towardsthe gear box 12, then the membrane 27 is deformed from the rest positionshown in FIG. 2 so that under severe axial movements the membrane 27 isso deformed that the annular member 28 rests against it thus stiffeningit and providing additional damping to reduce such axial movements.

The membrane 27 also deforms to take up angular movements of the driveline. In such a case the position of the inner ring 25 is varied in thesense of the angular movements of the drive line. In its rest positionthe inner ring 25 is concentric with the outer ring 26. Variation of theangular position of the inner ring 25 is resisted by resilientengagement of the annular member 28 with the outer ring 26, whichengagement provides additional damping to that from the deformation ofthe membrane 27. The positioning of the ribs 30 enables a desireddamping character. In the specific embodiment described above atangential arrangement of rib was found to be advantageous. However, inother applications a different positioning of rib, or a different shapeof rib, curved instead of straight for example, could be moreadvantageous.

The annular member 28 in effect increases the spring rate of themembrane 27.

What is claimed is:

l. A resilient mounting arrangement comprising:

an inner ring adapted to carry a bearing;

a bearing carried by said inner ring;

an outer rigid metal ring spaced from said inner ring;

an elastomeric coating on said outer ring, said coating including anannular outwardly protruding bead used in mounting the outer ring on abody portion of a vehicle;

single annular elastomeric support membrane, of C- shaped cross section,interconnecting said coating and outer rigid metal ring with said innerring;

an annular frustoconical member extending from one of said rings towardsthe other of said rings and movable, on displacement of said ringsrelative to one another, into resilient engagement with said other ringto thereby provide an increase in spring rate of said membrane to resistfurther relative displacement of said rings.

2. A resilient mounting arrangement comprising:

an inner rigid metal ring adapted to carry a bearing;

a bearing carried in said inner ring;

an outer rigid metal ring spaced from said inner ring and adapted to bemounted on a body portion of a vehicle;

an elastomeric coating on each of said rings;

a single annular elastomeric support membrane, of C- shaped crosssection, continuous with said coatings interconnecting said rings;

an annular frustoconical member formed on said membrane and coatings;

said member extending from said inner ring towards said outer ring andhaving a maximum radial dimension midway along the axial length of saidarrangement, said member being movable on displacement of said ringsrelative to one another, into resilient engagement with said outer ringto thereby provide an increase in spring rate of said membrane to resistfurther relative movement of said rings;

said member having a surface portion facing said inner ring, whichportion is compressively deformable upon said 5 shaft adapted totransmit rotary drive from an engine to a pair of road wheels of thevehicle a resilient mounting arrangement comprising:

an inner ring adapted to carry a bearing;

a bearing carried in said inner ring and adapted to support saidpropeller shaft;

an outer ring spaced from said inner ring and adapted to be mounted on abody portion ofa vehicle;

mounting means surrounding said outer ring, said mounting means beingsecured to said body portion of said vehicle;

an annular support membrane, of C-shaped cross section,

interconnecting said rings;

an annular frustoconical member formed on said membrane and extendingfrom said inner ring towards said outer ring and movable, ondisplacement of said rings relative to one another, into resilientengagement with said other ring to thereby provide an increase in springrate of said membrane to resist further relative displacement of saidrings;

said member having a surface portion facing said inner ring,

which portion is compressively deformable upon said engagement of saidmember with said outer ring;

and ribs formed on said surface portion and extending generallytangentially of the external surface of said propeller shaft supportedin said bearing, said ribs being effective to stiffen said memberagainst said deformation;

said member having a maximum radial dimension midway along the axiallength of said arrangement.

1. A resilient mounting arrangement comprising: an inner ring adapted tocarry a bearing; a bearing carried by said inner ring; an outer rigidmetal ring spaced from said inner ring; an elastomeric coating on saidouter ring, said coating including an annular outwardly protruding beadused in mounting the outer ring on a body portion of a vehicle; a singleannular elastomeric support membrane, of C-shaped cross section,interconnecting said coating and outer rigid metal ring with said innerring; an annular frustoconical member extending from one of said ringstowards the other of said rings and movable, on displacement of saidrings relative to one another, into resilient engagement with said otherring to thereby provide an increase in spring rate of said membrane toresist further relative displacement of said rings.
 2. A resilientmounting arrangement comprising: an inner rigid metal ring adapted tocarry a bearing; a bearing carried in said inner ring; an outer rigidmetal ring spaced from said inner ring and adapted to be mounted on abody portion of a vehicle; an elastomeric coating on each of said rings;a single annular elastomeric support membrane, of C-shaped crosssection, continuous with said coatings interconnecting said rings; anannular frustoconical member formed on said membrane and coatings; saidmember extending from said inner ring towards said outer ring and havinga maximum radial dimension midway along the axial length of saidarrangement, said member being movable on displacement of said ringsrelative to one another, into resilient engagement with said outer ringto thereby provide an increase in spring rate of said membrane to resistfurther relative movement of said rings; said member having a surfaceportion facing said inner ring, which portion is compressivelydeformable upon said resilient engagement of said member with said outerring; and ribs formed on said surface portion and effective to stiffensaid member against said deformation.
 3. In a motor vehicle drive lineassembly having a propeller shaft adapted to transmit rotary drive froman engine to a pair of road wheels of the vehicle a resilient mountingarrangement comprising: an inner ring adapted to carry a bearing; abearing carried in said inner ring and adapted to support said propellershaft; an outer ring spaced from said inner ring and adapted to bemounted on a body portion of a vehicle; mounting means surrounding saidouter ring, said mounting means being secured to said body portion ofsaid vehicle; an annular support membrane, of C-shaped cross section,interconnecting said rings; an annular frustoconical member formed onsaid membrane and extending from said inner ring towards said outer ringand movable, on displacemeNt of said rings relative to one another, intoresilient engagement with said other ring to thereby provide an increasein spring rate of said membrane to resist further relative displacementof said rings; said member having a surface portion facing said innerring, which portion is compressively deformable upon said engagement ofsaid member with said outer ring; and ribs formed on said surfaceportion and extending generally tangentially of the external surface ofsaid propeller shaft supported in said bearing, said ribs beingeffective to stiffen said member against said deformation; said memberhaving a maximum radial dimension midway along the axial length of saidarrangement.